This dissertation considers the evidence for the Durotriges, one of the groups of people listed by the Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. Traditionally it has been believed that the Durotrigans formed a tribe whose territory included Dorset and parts of neighbouring Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. More recent commentators identify significant differences between the communities living within this Durotrigan area. This thesis brings together the evidence gathered by archaeologists working across the Durotrigan zone and combines it with new survey and excavation.